252. Aisha reported: “One night, the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) related an [astonishing] story to his wives. One of his wives commented, ‘This story is as astonishing as the stories of Khurāfah.’ The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘Do you know the original story of Khurāfah? He was a man from the tribe of ‘Udhrah, whom the Jinn kidnapped. They kept him for a long time, and then they returned him to the people. He began to relate the wonders and strange things that he saw during his stay with them. Thenceforth, the people began to call every story that was incredible or too much for the mind to handle, a story of Khurāfah.’” [291]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
Khurāfah is the name of a man who was kidnapped by the Jinn during the pre-Islamic era and after some time they brought him back to the people. He used to relate strange stories about matters that people had never heard of or saw in their lifetimes, which made them feel astonished. From that time, it became a proverb to describe any unbelievable story as being a story of Khurāfah.
Al-Bajūrī said,
The purpose of the Prophet (peace be upon him) entertaining his wives at night was to make them happy and show them kindness. As for the hadīths concerning disallowing talking after praying Ishā, they refer to the talk that has no benefit in it.
253. ‘Aisha reported:
[One day] there sat together eleven women making an explicit promise amongst themselves that they would conceal nothing about their spouses.
The first one said, “My husband is like the meat of a lean, weak camel which is kept on the top of a mountain which is neither easy to climb, nor is the meat fat, so that one might put up with the trouble of fetching it.”
The second one said, “I shall not relate my husband’s news, for I fear that I may not be able to finish his story, for if I describe him, I will mention all of his defects and bad traits.”
The third one said, “My husband is a tall man [who is useless due to being thick-headed and ill-mannered]; if I describe him [and he hears of that] he will divorce me, and if I keep quiet, he will neither divorce me nor treat me as a wife.”
The fourth one said, “My husband is a moderate person like the night of Tihāma which is neither hot nor cold. I am neither afraid of him, nor am I discontented with him.”
The fifth one said, “My husband, when entering [the house] is a leopard, and when he is outside he is a lion. He does not ask about the state of his home.”
The sixth one said, “If my husband eats. he eats too much [leaving the dishes empty], and if he drinks he leaves nothing, and if he sleeps he sleeps alone [away from me] covered in garments and he does not stretch his hands to avoid touching my body as he may see my grief.”
The seventh one said, “My husband is an impotent wrong-doer, weak and foolish. All the defects are present in him. He may injure your head, your body or may do both.”
The eighth one said, “My husband is soft to the touch like a rabbit and smells like a zarnab (a kind of good smelling grass).”
The ninth one said, “My husband is a tall generous man wearing a long strap for carrying his sword. His ashes are abundant and his house is near to the people who can easily consult him.”
The tenth one said, “My husband is Mālik, and what is Mālik? Mālik is greater than whatever I say about him. He is beyond and above all praises which can come to my mind. Most of his camels are kept at home [ready to be slaughtered for the guests] and only a few are taken to the pastures. When the camels hear the sound of the lute (or the tambourine) they realise that they are going to be slaughtered for the guests.”
The eleventh one said, “My husband is Abū Zar and what is Abū Zar (i.e. what should I say about him)? He has given me many ornaments and my ears are heavily loaded with them and my arms have become fat (i.e. I have become fat). And he has pleased me, and I have become so happy that I feel proud of myself. He found me with my family who were mere owners of sheep and living in poverty, and brought me to a respected family having horses, camels, threshing and purifying grain. Whatever I say, he does not rebuke or insult me. When I sleep, I sleep till late in the morning, and when I drink water (or milk), I drink to my fill. The mother of Abū Zar, what could one say in praise of the mother of Abū Zar? Her saddle bags were always full of provision and her house was spacious. As for the son of Abū Zar, what could one say about the son of Abū Zar? His bed is as narrow as an unsheathed sword and an arm of a lamb [of four months] satisfies his hunger. As for the daughter of Abū Zar, she is obedient to her father and to her mother. She has a fat, well-built body and that arouses the jealousy of her husband’s other wife. As for the slave girl of Abū Zar, what could one say about the slave girl of Abū Zar? She does not disclose our secrets but keeps them, and does not waste our provisions and does not leave the rubbish scattered everywhere in our house.”
The eleventh woman added, “One day it so happened that Abū Zar went out at the time when the milk was being milked from the animals, and he saw a woman who had two sons like two leopards playing with her two breasts. [On seeing her] he divorced me and married her. Thereafter I married a noble man who used to ride a fast tireless horse and keep a spear in his hand. He gave me many things, and also a pair of every kind of livestock and said, ‘Eat (of this), O Umm Zar, and give provision to your relatives.’” She added, “Yet, all those things which my second husband gave me could not fill the smallest utensil of Abū Zar’s.”
Aisha then said: “Allāh’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said to me, ‘I am to you as Abū Zar was to his wife Umm Zar.’” [292]
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
The author listed this hadīth to show how the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to interact with his wives in a manner that brought joy to their hearts and how he used to give pleasant remarks and comments.
This is a famous hadīth that some scholars dedicated books to due to the many gems and benefits it possesses. From the scholars who covered this hadīth in one book is al-Qadī ‘Iyyād in his book “Bughyatu al-Ra’id lima Tadamanahu Hadīth Umm Zar’ minal Fawaid” and from the scholars who explained this hadīth in depth is al-Hafidh ibn Hajar in his book “Fathul Bari”.